Following months of consultation, Thames Hospice has secured the option to purchase land to build a new 28-bed, purpose-built, hospice by Bray Lake in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead - subject to planning permission.

Debbie Raven, Chief Executive, Thames Hospice, said: “We have seen demand for all of our services increase year-on-year and we are at a point where we need to expand to meet the needs of our local community. Our current Hospice in Windsor is at maximum occupancy and we have up to 10 people per day waiting for much-needed care. After reviewing a number of options to develop our existing site, we have concluded that it does not provide a solution to meet our future needs.

“A new purpose-built hospice would enable us to support more local people, through providing additional inpatient, outpatient and community services, building on the expert care delivered at our current facility in Windsor for almost 30 years.”

Dr Cecily Wright, Medical Director, Thames Hospice, said:“Demand for palliative and end-of-life care services is rising nationally and is set to continue for the foreseeable future. We are feeling the impact of this increase and are fortunate that Thames Hospice has the opportunity to develop a facility which will allow us to meet the needs of our local community.”

Thames Hospice has appointed KKE Architects to design the new hospice, specialists in this field. A planning application for a 28-bed Inpatient Unit will be submitted late 2016/early 2017.

Further updates will be announced in due course.

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NEW DIRECTOR OF FUNDRAISING AND MARKETING APPOINTED | OCTOBER 2018

Thames Hospice is pleased to announce the appointment of its new Director of Fundraising and Marketing, Sarah Bissell. Sarah joins Thames Hospice from Autistica, the UK’s leading autism research charity.

Sarah’s career in fundraising spans 20 years, including roles at the British Red Cross, WWF and Daryl Upsall Consulting. She is also a Trustee for the Institute of Fundraising.

Debbie Raven, Chief Executive at Thames Hospice, said:“We are delighted to have someone of Sarah’s calibre to lead our fundraising and marketing activities. She brings a huge wealth of experience and skills to the role which will be critical as we continue to raise £6 million towards the build of our new state-of-the-art hospice by Bray Lake.

Commenting on her appointment, Sarah Bissell said: “As a local resident I see the tremendous value of Thames Hospice to local families and I am hugely excited to be joining at a time when we need to grow our income and awareness significantly to meet the needs of the community across Berkshire and Buckinghamshire.”

Thames Hospice today announced the launch of a new Rapid Response Service, commissioned by the East Berkshire Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs), to help people with life-limiting illnesses manage their condition at home.

This announcement coincides with Dying Matters Week, a national awareness campaign run by National Council for Palliative Care, highlighting the importance of talking about death and bereavement.

The new community service includes a palliative care telephone service, to give advice to local people on the End-of-Life Care Register and their families as well as healthcare professionals who need guidance and support on delivering palliative care. The specialist team is available 24/7, 365 days a year, to provide guidance on symptom control, practical advice and emotional support.

As part of the service there is also a Rapid Response Team (RRT), made up of a Registered Nurse and Health Care Assistant, ready to make urgent visits to patients on the End-of-life Care Register. The RRT will also support their loved ones.

Jacquie Batchford, Thames Hospice Director of Patient and Family Services, said: “I am delighted that we are able to offer this new service to further support those people in our community who are facing the last year of their life. It will be reassuring for many to know that they will be able to pick up the phone and talk to a palliative care expert, at any time of the day or night, to manage their condition and, if possible, prevent unnecessary hospital visits.”

If you or someone you know requires support or advice on palliative or end-of-life care, please call the team on 01753 848925. To find out more about Thames Hospice’s services, visit www.thameshospice.org.uk/ourservices